A year and a half ago the fate of this car town, home to four Chrysler plants and a Delphi facility, was as uncertain as the American auto industry itself.

753Email Print CommentNow, thanks largely to the federal government, the town's unemployment rate has gone from over 20% to under 14%.

Economists disagree over the real nationwide impact of the massive stimulus jolt orchestrated by President Obama. But here in Kokomo, the Recovery Act and Obama's auto bailout have jolted Kokomo back to life -- keeping big industry from fleeing and attracting newcomers as well.

Politicians and diapers have one thing in common. They should both be changed regularly, and for the same reason.

A huge success indeed - unemployment dropped by 6% to be only 5% above the nation's average. However, let us also ask the question, in the spirit of Mark Twain, how that number was calculated? Unemployment can be tricky because it measures only those who are actively seeking jobs. If you've left the area, if you have just given up and aren't looking any more, you're not "unemployed". As Mr. Twain remarked "there are lies, d**mned lies, and statistics."

Bob_Rx2000"Because, Gentlemen, I don't trust you..." Gunning Bedford, U.S. Constitutional Convention"First God created the idiot. That was for practice. Then he created the School Board." Mark Twain

bob_rx2000 wrote:A huge success indeed - unemployment dropped by 6% to be only 5% above the nation's average. However, let us also ask the question, in the spirit of Mark Twain, how that number was calculated? Unemployment can be tricky because it measures only those who are actively seeking jobs. If you've left the area, if you have just given up and aren't looking any more, you're not "unemployed". As Mr. Twain remarked "there are lies, d**mned lies, and statistics."

Yes!! someone else gets it!!

It is for this reason that I don't really take the unemployment stats seriously. They can be skewed by so many factors. For instance, I know people that are nearing retirement that decided to retire early because they couldn't find work. Would anyone consider this a true drop in unemployment, much less a success for the stimulus?